Drown in My Own Tears

Last updated

"Drown in My Own Tears", originally credited as "I'll Drown in My Tears", is a song written by Henry Glover. It is best known in the version released as a single in 1956 by Ray Charles on the Atlantic record label.

Contents

History

"Drown in My Own Tears" was first recorded in 1951 by Lula Reed, on the King label (King 4527) as part of a split-single 78rpm; blues pianist Sonny Thompson was featured on the A-side with the instrumental track, "Clang, Clang, Clang". The record was a No.5 hit on the US Billboard R&B chart. [1]

Ray Charles' recording featured his lead vocal and piano, with instrumentation by session musicians. It was his third number-one single on the Billboard R&B singles chart. [2] It was one of his most important singles during his Atlantic period, where he dominated the R&B singles chart, and influenced him to recruit a singing group he later called the Raelettes.

Personnel

Other recordings

[4]

Other recordings include one by Dinah Washington on the 1998 CD reissue of The Swingin' Miss "D" (1957), originally on the EmArcy Records label. [5] The song was also performed by Simply Red in 1991 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, featuring on the live album of the event.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tears of a Clown</span> 1970 single by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

"The Tears of a Clown" is a song written by Hank Cosby, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla Records label subsidiary of Motown, first appearing on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The track was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in July 1970, and it became a number-one hit on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending September 12, 1970. Subsequently, Motown released a partially re-recorded and completely remixed version as a single in the United States as well, where it quickly became a number-one hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts.

"Teach Me Tonight" is a popular song that has become a jazz standard. The music was written by Gene De Paul, the lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The song was published in 1953.

Linked here are Billboard magazine's number-one rhythm and blues hits. The Billboard R&B chart is today known as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Little Johnny Taylor was an American blues and soul singer. He made recordings throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and continued public performances through the 1980s and 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heat Wave (1963 song)</span> 1963 single by Martha and the Vandellas

"Heat Wave" is a 1963 song written by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team. It was first made popular by the Motown vocal group Martha and the Vandellas, who issued it as a single on July 10, 1963, on the Motown subsidiary Gordy label. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B chart—where it stayed for four weeks—and peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernie Freeman</span> American pianist, arranger and composer (1922–1981)

Ernest Aaron Freeman was an American pianist, organist, bandleader, and arranger. He was responsible for arranging many successful rhythm and blues and pop records from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Sonny Thompson, born Alfonso Thompson or Hezzie Tompson, was an American R&B bandleader and pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuff Like That</span> 1978 single by Quincy Jones featuring Chaka Khan and Ashford & Simpson

"Stuff Like That" is a hit song with music and lyrics written by Quincy Jones, Ashford & Simpson, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Ralph MacDonald and Richard Tee. The song was originally an instrumental rhythm track. Jones worked on the track with Ashford & Simpson, Chaka Khan and studio musicians Gadd, Gale, MacDonald and Tee to turn it into a single. Ashford & Simpson and Khan featured as vocalists while George Young was playing alto saxophone. The song was included on Jones' 1978 album Sounds...And Stuff Like That!. The single spent one week at number one on the R&B singles chart, for the week ending 1 July 1978, and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

"I'll Go Crazy" is a rhythm and blues song recorded by James Brown and The Famous Flames. Released as a single in 1960, it was Brown's fourth R&B hit, charting at #15. Brown and the Flames also performed it as the first song on their 1963 album Live at the Apollo.

"634-5789 " is a soul song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. It was first recorded by Wilson Pickett on December 20, 1965 and included on his 1966 Atlantic Records album The Exciting Wilson Pickett with backing vocals by Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles. The single reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart and number 13 on the Hot 100 singles chart.

"There's Something on Your Mind " is a song originally recorded as "There Is Something on Your Mind" in 1957 by Big Jay McNeely. The song credits Cecil James McNeely as its writer, Big Jay McNeely's birth name. The song has been recorded many times since then by Big Jay McNeely himself with various collaborators.

"Every Beat of My Heart" is a rhythm and blues song written by Johnny Otis. It was first recorded in 1952 by his group, the Royals.

"Don't Cry Baby" is a song composed by James P. Johnson, with lyrics by Saul Bernie, and Stella Unger. The song was first recorded on October 11, 1929 by Bessie Smith, who was accompanied on piano by Johnson. The song was revived in 1943 by jazz bandleader Erskine Hawkins, who greatly simplified Johnson's original composition by removing both the introductory (sectional) verse and the "B" section of the chorus. This simplified arrangement formed the basis of most later recordings on the song. Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s, the song was recorded fairly regularly, but was not a hit again until Etta James recorded it in 1961. Between 1962 and 1964, versions were released by James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles. Since the mid-1960s, the song has been occasionally revived.

"Black Night" is a blues song recorded by Charles Brown in 1951. Although the songwriter credit is usually given to Jessie Mae Robinson, "Brown is believed to have written 'Black Night'", according to author Steve Sullivan.

Lula Reed was an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer who recorded in the 1950s and 1960s. She had two R&B hits in 1952 as vocalist with pianist and bandleader Sonny Thompson, and later recorded with guitarist Freddy King. She was occasionally credited as Lulu Reed.

"Never Let Me Go" is a blues ballad song by American R&B/blues singer Johnny Ace, written by Joseph Scott and released in 1954 under Duke Records. The song is featured on the albums My Songs and Memorial. "Never Let Me Go" was one of his eighth consecutive top ten R&B hits in a row, including "My Song", "Cross My Heart," "Please Forgive Me," "The Clock," "Pledging My Love," "Saving My Love for You," and "Anymore". The song was R&B hit and peaked to No. 9 in October 1954 on Billboards Rhythm & Blues Records chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Hundred Ways</span> 1981 single by Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram

"One Hundred Ways" is a 1981 single released from Quincy Jones's album The Dude on A&M Records. The song features James Ingram on vocals. The song reached number 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1982. It was a bigger Adult Contemporary hit, reaching number five in the U.S. and number six in Canada. "One Hundred Ways" received the 1982 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance.

"We Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" is a song originally recorded on September 3, 1936, by Piedmont blues musician Casey Bill Weldon. Weldon performed it as a solo piece, with vocals and acoustic guitar plus piano and double bass accompaniment.

Michael Lovesmith is an American R&B singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and executive. He has sometimes been credited as Michael L. Smith.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995 . Record Research. p.  443. ISBN   0-89820-115-2.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. ISBN   0-89820-115-2.
  3. "Ray Charles - The Very Best Of Ray Charles". Discogs.com. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. "Search for "drown in my own tears"". AllMusic . Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  5. "The Swingin' Miss "D" - Dinah Washington - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 25 January 2018.